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I'm currently own a 5 year old 50 inch Panasonic plasma TV (will check model tonight). The TV still looks great and I'm very happy with it, but I need another TV for my living room that won't raise the temperature of the room significantly. After spending lots of time sorting through LED TV alternatives I came back to start looking at Panasonic Plasma. My main goal is to have a great looking living room TV 46 to 51 inches in size that doesn't heat my living room the way my older gen pany plasma does.. and might save a bit electricity too. I know that newer plasmas (even 2-3 years ago) got a lot better with heat production and power consumption. Is it a fair assumption that this won't be an issue in newer TVs?
So here is my question. Who makes a better plasma these days? Picture and build quality are my main points. Price is an issue, but basically I'm only looking at the base model with no 3D or smart tech they're pretty close in price.

Samsung PN51E530: I know Samsung makes good TVs, but how is the failure rate? How does picture compare to Panasonic?

Panasonic TC-P50U50: Normally I wouldn't hesitate in buying a Panasonic Plasma, but then I started to to see reviews and threads on Panasonic Plasma main board failures. This hit home because the 42" 2 year old Pany plasma I helped my dad buy failed one week after the warranty expired. So I may need to consider a square trade warranty.